Wire-fence builder.



W. S- HAZELTON.

WIRE FENCE BUILDER.

APPLIOATIOH run In 15. 1911.

1,036,231 Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

,WILLIAM S. HAZELTON, OF NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-FENCE BUILDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fled May 15, 1911.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912. Serial No. 627,298.

.' sive and efiicient evioe, adapted for stretching wire intheconstruction of fences, and in splicing out or broken wires witheither a tele aph or loop lice, and capable also of rea ily taking u t eslack in a fence wire.

: illustrated the pre erred emb With these an other objects in view, theinvention consists in the construction and novel combination of partshereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing,and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; 1t being understood thatvarious changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details ofconstruction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the drawing :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire fence builder,constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. Q is a detail viewof the pivoted wire engaging clamp. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectionalview on the line H of Fig. 3.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

In the accompan ing drawin in which is od lment of the invention, thewire fence builder is in the form of a pair of tongs and compriseslevers 1 and 2, connected near their outer ends by. a pivot 3, andprovided beyond the same with co-acting jaws 4. The pivot 3 is shown inthe drawin equipped with a key 3, but any other suita le means may beemployed for securing the pivot in the openings of the levers 1 and 2.The lever 1 is provided at its inner end with a staple extractingprojection 5, and the inner end of the opposite jaw is equipped with ablade 6, adapted to clear away the wood of a post around the staple toexpose the same to enable the extractor 5 to readily engage the staple.

The left hand lever 2 is equipped with a wire engaging clamp comprisingspaced jaws 7 and 8, and a cooperating lever 9, ivotally mounted at thespace between the aws 7 and 8 on a stud or pivot 10, and adaptedtocotiperate with either jaw 7 or 8 and engage with a wire at eitherside of the said ews. The jaws 7. and 8 are rovided with serrations orteeth, and they ave terminal projecting fingers 11 and 12, extendinginwardly and over-hanging the space between :the jaws and the lever. Thelever 9 is provided with a head havin a curved wire engaging edge 13,provide with serrations or teeth, adapted to co-act with the teeth ofeither of the jaws 7 and 8 to grip a wire.

The right hand lever 1 is provided with a pivotally mounted wire enga'ng clamp, consisting of a plate 14, pivote at one end to the lever 1 bya suitable pin 15 and provided with spaced jaws 16 and 17, and car:rying a lever 18. The jaws 16 and 17 are provided with serrations orteeth and have projecting fingers 19 and 20, and the lever, which ismounted on a pivot 21, is provided with a head having a curved wireengaging edge 22, which is also provided with serrations or teeth. Thelever 18 is adapted to cooperate with either of the jaws, and to engagewith the wire at either side of either jaw. The inner and outer jaws ofthe .two wire on giging clamps are desi ed to 'be spaced i erentdistances from t e pivot of the lever, so as to enable the, jaws to oerate with greater advantage on wires of di erent sizes. The lever 1 isprovided with a recess 23 to receive the plvoted wire enga ing clamp,and it has a flange 24 exten in along the outer side of the recess atone en thereof and arranged to be engaged by the free end of the clampto form a stop for the fit) same for maintaining the pivoted clamp inalinement with the lever 1 during the stretching operations. Thepivoting of the clamp enables the latter to adjustitself with respecttothe relatively fixed wire engaging clamp of the left hand leve' 2, andfacilitates the introduction of the wire into the device.

'hen it is desired to stretch a wire in the construction of a fence, theleft hand lever 2 is anchored to a post by means of a chain (not shown)having a hook, adapted to engage a hole .25, arranged adjacent. to theouter jaw T of the wire engaging clamp of the lever 2. The right handlever is then swung outward away from the left hand lever as far aspossible, and the wire to be stretched is placed within the pivotedclamp. The lever l is then swung inwardly toward the lever 2, and thewire is placed in the clamp thereof, after which the wire is releasedfrom the pivoted clamp. The lever 1 is then swung outwardly to reengageits clamp with the wire, which isagain stretched by swinging the lever 1inwardly toward the lever 2 as before described. The stretchingoperation is repeated until the wire is placed under the desiredtension. Aft er the wire is stretched to the desired tension, it isstapled or otherwise secured to the fence post.

When it is desired to splice the endsof a broken or cut wire, theterminal portions of i the wire are placed in the clamps of the levers 1and 2, so as to project about two inches from the inner sides of theclamps. The levers are then drawn together and are locked by means of aconnecting strap or bar 26, which holds the device until the wires aretwisted or looped together. In forming a telegraph splice, each end ofthe wire is twisted around the main portion of the other end or wire atthe outer side of the clamp, a suitable twister (not shown) beingemployed for this purpose. \Vhen it is desired to make a loop splice,the ends are drawn together in overlapping relation in the mannerheretofore described. Then one end of the wire is looped around theoperating wire at the outer side of the clamp, after which the loopedwire is removed from the device. The device is then turned laterally ina downward direction to loop the other end of the wire. The wire firstlooped may then he twisted around its body portion. The clamp is thenremoved from the other end of the wire. which is likewise twisted. whilethe first loop is held by the jaws of the tongs. Also in making atelegraph splice the wires. after the first one is twisted. may beremoved from the clamps and may be held between the jaws of the tongswhile making the second twist. The connecting strap 26 is pivcted at oneend by a pin 27 to the lever 2. and it is provided with a series ofperforations arranged at intervals and extending inwardly from the otherend of the strap and adapted to receive a stud 29, projecting from theinner portion of the lever 1. By arranging the stud 29 in theperforations 28, the two levers may be locked at different adjustments.

'hen it is desired to take up the slack of a fence wire, the staples areremoved from the wire at several posts, and the wire adjacent to one ofthe posts is placed in the clamps, which are arranged at spaced pointsby opening the levers 1 and 2. The levers are then closed, whichstretches the wire and forms a loop at the post. The wire is secured bystapling it at each side of the loop formed by the device. The levers.which are arranged in a horizontal position during the stretchingoperation.areturned to a vertical position to permit the wire to bearranged close to the post.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A wire fence builder including a pair of tongs composed of two leverspivotally connected adjacent to their outer ends, and wire engagingclamps carried by the levers and located at points between the pivot andthe inner ends of the levers, one of the clamps being pivotally mountedand the lever upon which it is mounted being provided at the outer sidewith a stop arranged in the path of the pivoted clamp for maintainingthe same in alinement with such lever during the stretching operation.

2. A wire fence builder including a pair of tongs composed of two leverspivotally connected adjacent to their outer ends, and wire engagingclamps carried by the levers at points between the pivot and their innerends and each comprising relatively fixed inner and outer jaws, and alever pivoted in the space between the said jaws and having a wireengaging head arranged to (so-act with either jaw.

33. A wire fence builder including a pair of tongs composed of twolevers pivotally connected adjacent to their outer ends, and wireengaging clamps carried by the levers at points between the pivot andtheir inner ends and each comprising relatively fixed inner and outerjaws spaced apart and provided with inwardly projecting fingers locatedat opposite sides of the clamp, and a. wire engaging lever pivotallymounted in the space between the jaws and arranged to co-act with eitherjaw.

4. A wire fence builder including a pair of tongs composed of leverspivotally connected together, one of the levers being provided with arecess and having a flange arranged at the outer side of the recess atone end thereof, a plate pivoted in the recess at theother end thereofand'haviiig its free end In testimony, that I claiin the foregoingarranged 'to engage the said flange, said as my own, I have heretoafiixed my signaple te being provided with a wire engaging ture in thepresence of two witnesses. aw, a wire engaging'i eyer pivot-ally mount-WILLIAM S. HAZELTON.

' 5 ed on the plate and ep ac'tipg with the jaw, Witnesses:

, and a wire engaging clamp carried by the CURT D. \VACHTER,

other lever. JOSEPH SARNOVSKY.

